Lavern Dilweg

Who was Lavern Dilweg?

LaVern "Lavvie" Ralph Dilweg was an American football player, official, lawyer, and U.S. Representative from Wisconsin.

Dilweg was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on January 11, 1903. He graduated from Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee in 1927, and was admitted to the Wisconsin Bar the same year. While at Marquette, Lavvie was an All-American End. In 1926, Lavvie played for the Milwaukee Badgers, an early NFL team. From 1927 to 1934, while practicing law, Lavvie played for the Green Bay Packers and was recognized as one of the best ends in the NFL during the 1920s and 1930s. His Packers won NFL championships in 1929, 1930, and 1931. Lavvie was an official in the Big Ten Conference until 1943.

Dilweg was elected as a member of the Democratic Party to the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 8th congressional district in 1942 and served in the 78th United States Congress. After serving in Congress, Lavvie resumed the practice of law in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C. In 1961, he was confirmed as a member of the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission. He died on January 2, 1968, in St. Petersburg, Florida, and is interred at the Fort Howard Cemetery in Green Bay.